Hands on with the Sony Cyber-shot QX series

After weeks of leaks, Sony has officially introduced the Cyber-shot QX10 and QX100, or the 'Lens Cameras' as we've come to know them. In every sense, that's exactly what they are; a digital camera housed entirely within what looks like a camera lens. The two different models look essentially the same on the outside with different internals, but they both look and act exactly the same.

They attach to the back of your phone in one of two ways. If you pick up a new Sony Xperia Z1, and likely going forward other Sony phones, there's a nice little case that clips over the phone and the camera clicks into a dedicated slot. When it's all dressed up like this, from the right angle it looks just like a proper digital camera. The biggest drawback is perhaps the fact that on a phone as slim as the Xperia Z1, there's not much to grip when you're using it.

The other way to attach is probably the one most people will use. Included with both is a clip on module with an extendable arm and a fixed base clip. By pulling this upwards you can clip it onto all kinds of different sized smartphones, and as the top arm is hinged it will even cling pretty sturdily to even phones with a curved back such as the Moto X.

Hardware wise we know about the difference in optics and camera specific specs, but there's a couple of similarities between the two. The unit is powered by a removable, and rechargable 630mAh battery with a standard microUSB charging port. Memory card wise you've got two choices, either a Sony M2 or a more standard microSD card. Zoom and shutter functions are on the camera itself, it's got NFC for easy pairing with your Android device and a tripod mount on the bottom.

We've had a little time to spend going hands on, but we'll be taking a much closer look in the coming days and weeks. Head on down past the break for our first hands on video with the Cyber-shot QX100.